MAFFA

Basics of the system:

ASUS motherboard
AMD Athlon XP 2400+
512mb
2 x 80GB HD
XP Home Ed SP2
Radeon 9600 (128MB) Pro Atlantis Graphics Card

It's quite an old system now but i've never experienced the probs i'm having now. It generally happens when I run something that's gonna eat the memory such as a PC game or even loading something like Google Earth upsets it. What happens is that my PC just shut's down instantly (well it kind of sounds like it cuts out!), there is no power & the only thing that's happening is the flashing of the green power button on the front? It will not re-boot for a while & in order to re-start it you need to switch it off at the plug?

Any ideas?

MAFFA

DrEvil

To test the memory, download memtest86+ on to a floppy and boot off it.

Alternatively could be the GPU failing, as it sounds like it is only when you do graphical stuff - does 3Dmark01 or 03 complete ok?

CaptainJohn

It could be a few things but most likely to be a faulty PSU or overheating if its not software (Virus etc.) . Take the side off your puter and hoover out all the fluff and debris and check the fans are OK. Have a look in the BIOS at the CPU temperature . Replace the PSU.

MAFFA

Hi Alex how goes it fella

GPU - Is that my Graphics card?

I've got good old Si Sandra software so I can tell you the following:

CPU Temperature - 44 degrees (111 F)
CPU Voltage - 1.68v
Main Board Temp - 35 degrees (95 F)

Dunno whether any of that helps but it does seem a little hot? I'm running a fan on my CPU, a fan on the back, one on the side, an exhaust at the back, a dual fan on each hard drive, a dual fan on the graphics card?

Hope this helps my cause?

MAFFA

MAFFA

What's 3D mark 01? Might help me to test it I spose LOL

DrEvil

Hi Maffa,

Been ages since I've caught up with you lot - are the sussex meet ups still going?

44 degrees aint that hot for a 'normal' case.

3Dmark01 can be downloaded from www.guru3d.com -> downloads -> benchmark I believe. It runs graphical tests.

I've seen similar issues when the GPU (graphics card) is knackered. But also when memory is knackered too - but as capt john said, it could be a number of things.

Sandra is a good bit of s/w, but download memtest when you get a chance - you'll find it easily with google

Alex

Scooby-Doo

Usually when I have memory issues you get the blue screen of death rather than a complete power failure. Sounds like PSU failure to me.

G00ner

CPU temp seems ok, but mobo readings aint always accurate.

If the cpu is overheating the mobo will shut the puta down without warning, might be worth spreading some fresh heat sink compound on the core and checking the fan.

iain atkins

It will be the psu. First thing to check is that there isn't a large buildup of dust in the psu, this causes it to overheat easier when the machine is a little more power hungry (i.e. playing games / other intensive stuff.


Iain

MAFFA

I might purchase a new PSU as i've just looked and the one in there is only 375w. After reading the Sapphire website it suggested a minimum of 450w for gaming? Saves me cleaning it out

MAFFA

mart360

It could well be your memory,

i have had similar issues to what you said,

those helpfull chaps at pcanswers gave me some guidelines.
this is from the mail they sent

PC is probably 'reseting' because it's encountered a STOP error. We need to
find out more about said error, so you need to stop Windows automatically
restarting when it encounters one. Right-click My Computer, select
Properties -> Advanced tab. Click Settings under Startup and Recovery,
untick Automatically Restart and click OK twice. When it next happens, make
a note of the STOP error and send it to me. It could be down to a faulty
driver, corrupt file or even dodgy memory - without seeing the STOP error we
can't really comment further. It might be worth seeing if you can get the
fault to replicate itself two or three times and check the basic error
message doesn't change (specifics might).


i found that the graphics card was dying (fan cooled as well)

and i found the true root cause later, it is either the mobo or one strip of memory,

basically when i boot from cold, 9times out of 10 it will only fire up one one strip 256mb and if i try to run multiple accounts it goes tata.

yet i can run loads of proggys and apps under a single user til the cows come home..

after about 1hr of sutained use, i can shut down, and reboot, and bobs your 512mb available.

now due to the way pc memory has gone super stupid in its fsb and speeds, i dont know what type to replace it with, so i,m just carrying on as normal.

hope this helps

Mart

ru'

I'd suggest the PSU is shafted. Auto-restart on errors does exactly that; it re-starts, whereas this is not starting again.

It isn't even shutting down normally; from a normal shut down you can re-start without having to 'reset' the PSU by removing the mains from it (PSUs have protection circuitry inside, which can need a reset like this).

I had exactly the same problem on an old PSU when I upgraded my graphics card.

If you get a new PSU, make sure you get a decent one - this will be good for when you upgrade your system too.

It maybe worth checking for dust build-up in the PSU, or failed fans though - just make sure you disconnect the mains first!

MAFFA

1 - I did have 1 dodgy strip of memory so i've removed it & am only running 512mb now.

2 - I've replaced the PSU with a 450W one. Jeez the size of the fan on this one compared to the old one

I'll let you know if it makes a difference

MAFFA

Alan C

It may not be the memory slice.. Just the slot it was in or the way it was seated...

Pop it back in after a clean up of the contacts with a rubber as you'll find halfing your memory will have other side effects that could cause it to crash or slow again.

MAFFA

I tried taking out 1 memory slice & the PC wouldn't boot so I tried the same slice in the other slot & it still wouldn't boot. Just kept beeping at me. I took the other slice & tried it in both slots & it boots fine. I'm no PC wizz but i'm guessing it was the slice that was knackered in some way

Anyway i've had no probs as yet

MAFFA

DrEvil

Mate I'm confused - you said you were only running 512Mb to start with.. have you done a memory upgrade recently - or was your post before this one s'posed to read 256Mb or similar?!

Anyhow - glad you tracked it down.

MAFFA

Ooops that's just me being a muppet LOL I did have 2 x 512mb

Anyway the misses played her PC game today for 1 1/2hrs with no hic-ups. It's one of those games with loads of movie clips as well so it would have put the PC through it's paces

Cheers for your help guys & hopefully no more probs.

One thing which wouldn't have helped either is the fact my old PSU only had 2 outputs so I had to split the power a few times to enable the running of 2 hard drives, a DVD drive, a CD drive, a fan controller etc...etc... Plus a load of fans spliced off those!! The new PSU has 6 outputs so each component has it's own supply Got me thinking that maybe it was being overloaded?

MAFFA

ru'

Can't think of anything else which would need a PSU 'reset'!

MAFFA

PMSL